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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24552145">(unsurprising) surprise party</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/laughtales/pseuds/laughtales'>laughtales</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Sylvain Week 2020 [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Dancing, Day 5: Happy Birthday, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Surprise Party, Sylvain Week 2020, You deserve so much love and happiness and I'm going to give it to you, happy birthday sylvain</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 01:34:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,572</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24552145</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/laughtales/pseuds/laughtales</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Felix shows up at the Gautier estate unannounced and drags Sylvain literally out of bed to ride for Fraldarius for no discernible reason. </p><p>It is not by any means, a subtle tactic but Sylvain plays along.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Felix Hugo Fraldarius/Sylvain Jose Gautier, Sylvain &amp; Happiness</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Sylvain Week 2020 [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1769569</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>67</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>(unsurprising) surprise party</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for Sylvain Week 2020!</p><p> </p><p>  <i> Day 5: Happy Birthday and Party </i></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sylvain wakes to frantic knocking on his door and equally frantic conversation travelling down the corridor.</p><p>“Please wait, Duke Fraldarius! Milord is still sleeping-“</p><p>“He won’t be for long.”</p><p>“We can fetch him for you, Sir! The Margrave was working late into the night and-“</p><p>“It’s fine. I can wake him.”</p><p>“Sir!”</p><p>Sylvain blinks blearily from the noise as the door to his chambers fly open. Felix trails in gracefully and purposefully, followed by a train of his staff, each looking more nervous and panicked than the next. His steward, Liams, the only exception.</p><p>They make eye contact somehow, Sylvain gazing into the ambers of Felix’s eyes. It’s an unexpectedly pleasant sight to wake up to, Felix all dressed up and staring down at him basked in sunlight thanks to the curtains being hastily and apologetically drawn.</p><p>He’s always thought Felix beautiful and in this ethereal setting and still drowsy with sleep, Sylvain believes him some otherworldly being.</p><p>The moment lasts all of ten seconds.</p><p>Felix sighs when Sylvain makes absolutely no indication of getting up and grabs the sides of the sheets he’s tangled up in and <em>pulls</em>. Sylvain yelps as he’s dragged, blanket and all, off the bed and lands painfully on the ground by Felix’s feet.</p><p>Felix turns to Liams. “He’s up. Can you prepare breakfast and get Altair and Lady ready? We’ll set off as soon as this moron is fed and dressed.”</p><p>“I’m not going anywhere?” Sylvain says, confused. Too much is happening at once and he’s not awake enough to process it all. “And why are you ordering my staff-“</p><p>“Right away, Sir.” Sylvain sees Liams bow and the rest of the staff scatter much more gracefully than they had entered.</p><p>Sylvain blinks at their retreating backs. “Conspirators! All of you!” Sylvain shouts once it all sinks in. “You know you work for me and not him, right?”</p><p>Felix smirks at him as Sylvain leans back against his bed, still very much tangled up in his sheets. “Your staff are great.”</p><p>Sylvain pouts. “I should never have given you blanket authority here. You’re abusing it to bully me in my own home.”</p><p>Felix scoffs. “As if. Now how long are you going to sit on the floor like an idiot? You heard me, get up and get dressed. We leave after breakfast.”</p><p>Stretching out the kinks in his back, he untangles himself and picks himself off the floor. “Where are we going? ”</p><p>“You’re coming with me to Fraldarius.”</p><p>“What? Why? Is something wrong?” Sylvain’s brows furrow with concern.</p><p>Felix smirks, halfway out the door, leaving Sylvain to get ready. “Come and find out.”</p><p> </p><p>.</p><p> </p><p>It’s barely a half day ride to the Fraldarius estate. Or it would be if Felix was a better rider. Or if Felix stopped insisting on giving his horse a break. Or if Felix would just stop <em>dawdling</em>, which is never a word Sylvain would’ve thought he’d use to describe his best friend.</p><p>Lady is technically Sylvain's horse because the one Felix rode to Gautier was definitely not ready to ride back again so soon. She’s not a warhorse like Altair but she’s beautiful and probably the only horse in all of Fodlan that actually likes Felix instead of just tolerating him. Likes him more than Sylvain even and Felix has admitted to being fond of her which is basically Felix speak for he <em>loves </em>her. Sylvain has tried to gift Lady to him more than once but Felix always refuses with a gentle smile while rubbing her neck, saying that he wouldn’t give her the attention she deserves since he doesn’t have the same passion for horses or riding that Sylvain does.</p><p>“I know what you’re doing,” Sylvain sighs as he lets Altair take a drink at the creek This is already the third time they’ve stopped.</p><p>Felix stands in the grass, fondly watching Lady graze. “What you mean.”</p><p>“Really?” Sylvain raises an eyebrow. “You’re not even being subtle about it.”</p><p>Felix scoffs. “When am I ever subtle?”</p><p>An undeniably solid point. “Well why don’t you just tell me then,” Sylvain says. “How long are you supposed to stall me for before we can go back to your house for the surprise party? All this stopping takes the fun out of riding.”</p><p>Calling the Fraldarius estate a<em> house</em> is a huge understatement. It’d be like calling Gautier <em>a little chilly</em> when they have, in fact, watched in fascination as still steaming water exploded to mist in the frigid air. Sylvain had showed off that trick when Felix had visited during a particularly cold winter when they were still young. Glenn had to drag them both inside because their fingers and toes were definitely in danger of falling off if they stayed out there any longer. Underplaying the extravagance of their lives brings Sylvain more amusement than it should, taking pleasure in pretending they aren't lords with mansions and responsibilities and just friendly neighbors meeting for a lunch date instead. Besides, who’s going to call him out on it? Certainly not Felix.</p><p>Amusement crosses Felix’s face. “No earlier than sundown. Ingrid’s exact words were, <em>I don’t want to see you two until the sky is the same shade as his hair.</em>”</p><p>Sylvain laughs. “I don’t think you were supposed to tell me that.”</p><p>“I also wasn’t supposed to let you figure out that I was sent to stall you.” Felix says, like he knows just how ridiculous he sounds. He shrugs, “since you’ve already figured it out, there’s no point hiding it.”</p><p>It just goes to show how much he’s been working lately that he lost track of the days. It took Felix showing up at his door and personally escorting him to Fraldarius to remember.</p><p>His birthday is tomorrow.</p><p>He’s never been particularly fond of it. When he was younger, it’d been the perfect occasion for Miklan to remind him how his life was ruined the day Sylvain came into the world. As he got older, it became an excuse for women to approach and curry his favor. He used to very strongly insist the occasion wasn't anything worth celebrating despite his friends' objections. He remembers one birthday particularly fondly. The Professor had invited him for tea with his favorite bergamot brew and intriguing conversation before sending him off with well wishes and a brand new board game. Subsequent birthdays were spent on the battlefield, fighting to live another day until the war finally ended and his birthdays became quaint mundane, wonderful occasions, everyone far too busy rebuilding to make the trip to Gautier and sending their blessings and gifts instead. Only Felix ever came in person, the proximity of their lands the only reason it was possible considering the colossal amount of work the new Duke Fraldarius surely had. It's only recently that he's started considering that maybe his birthday was something worth celebrating.</p><p>This is the first year of relative stability since the end of the war. Meaning friends across the land could and would be able to spare the time to get together for a celebration.</p><p>“I guess we’ve got a few hours to kill while Ingrid and whoever else deck your house out for a party then.” Felix grimaces at the thought. Probably hoping very much that the estate isn’t too unrecognizable when they arrive. Sylvain thinks for a moment. “Wait, if we’re not supposed to get there until sundown, why did you drag me out of bed and on the road that early? We could’ve just chilled at my place until after lunch and still made it on time.”</p><p>“What do you want to do?” It doesn’t go unnoticed that Felix deflects his question. Again, no sense of subtlety whatsoever. Suspicious, but Sylvain lets it slide. There’s probably some contradictory complicated yet simple Felix answer to it.</p><p>“Well, we shouldn’t spar with live weapons even though you’d probably love that. Ingrid would have both our heads, birthday and errand boy be damned, if we showed up to the party covered in blood.” Felix sulks adorably but doesn’t push it. Sylvain thinks for a moment. “Help me gather some sticks and we can play? Just like old times.”</p><p>Felix huffs without any real bite. “Aren’t we a little old for that? We did that when we were nine and eleven.” Felix starts gathering them anyways, a faint smile tugging at his lips.</p><p>“Then let’s make it interesting!” Felix frowns at the sudden chirp in Sylvain’s tone. “Loser has to share a secret.”</p><p>“How is that interesting? You already know all my secrets and I know all of yours.” Felix only realizes after he’s replied that he’s walked into a trap.</p><p>Sylvain grins, wide and mischievous. “A request then. Anything of the winner’s choosing.”</p><p>Felix sighs. “Fine. But we stop the second you ask for something stupid.”</p><p>“Oh, how unlike you, Fe. Admitting defeat before we’ve even started.”</p><p>He gets a glare for that and Felix lets the sticks scatter. “Don’t get cocky Gautier.”</p><p>The game begins.</p><p> </p><p>.</p><p> </p><p>Sylvain strides through the front door of the Fraldarius estate like he lives there as the sunset paints the skies beautiful hues. Felix trails behind him shaking his head.</p><p>“Friends! How shocking to see you all here, in Felix’s humble abode. You shouldn’t have traveled all this way for little ol’ me, I’m honored!” He sings, arms open, smile wide, winking at the welcome party in the front hall. All the Blue Lions are present as well as some friends hailing from the former Alliance and Empire.</p><p>Felix sighs loudly.</p><p>Ingrid, frozen where she stands, hands full of confetti in an aborted throwing motion, stares at Sylvain. Then she turns to Felix. “You told him?”</p><p>Felix frowns at the accusation and grimaces as he takes in the state of his home.</p><p>“Nah, Felix didn’t say anything. I figured it out.” Sylvain makes his rounds, offering hugs and kisses. “Not exactly your most inconspicuous plan,” he says, kissing Ingrid’s cheek affectionately.</p><p>Sighing, Ingrid returns his kiss and dumps her confetti over Sylvain’s head when he bows down for it. “Happy birthday, Sylvain.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>They have an extravagant feast in the reception hall. Dedue makes Sylvain’s favorites and he grins like a cat with cream the entire time, reveling in the attention and affections from his favourite people.</p><p>Presents are opened afterwards. Many admit to sending their gifts to the Gautier mansion because Sylvain couldn’t possibly be expected to travel with it all back home. Others give him handmade things – an embroidered scarf from Mercedes, a collection of mini cakes from Lysithea, secret unpublished manuscripts of Bernie’s newest work, etcetera.</p><p>“Hm? Where’s your present, Fe?” Sylvain notices the glaring lack of a present from his best friend.</p><p>Felix meets his eye then looks away. “Is letting this happen in my home not present enough?” He sounds annoyed but everyone in the room knows better.</p><p>Sylvain pouts and whines and sulks. It’s almost entirely for show. He doesn’t need a present from Felix, their ride here and spending time together enough present for him. But it doesn’t mean that he isn’t a little disappointed that he didn’t get one.</p><p>The night ends with singing and dancing and only one ghost story courtesy of Mercedes. It’s just like old times and it warms Sylvain’s heart. Later into the night, everyone retires to their guest rooms somewhat early, apologetically saying they had to return to their territories in the morning.</p><p>Sylvain understands. He’s glad they could take even this short day off for him.</p><p>Felix walks with him to the room that has been Sylvain’s since he was seven. Sylvain tugs him in with little resistance.</p><p>“Sylvain.” Felix warns.</p><p>“You didn’t get me a present so I’m improvising,” Sylvain smiles. “I won the last round, remember? So I get to ask you for something.”</p><p>It’s adorable to watch Felix’s cheeks turn pink. “<em>Sylvain,</em>” Felix warns again, hushed and flustered.</p><p>Oh, how badly he wants to tease Felix about this. Never let him live down the particular path he thinks Sylvain is leading them down. Instead, he just hums and savors in the moment, pulling Felix in and settling a hand on his waist. “Dance with me. We didn’t get to at the party.”</p><p>Felix looks at him, surprised, before nodding and setting his hands into position. Sylvain leads, closing his eyes and carrying them through the steps with familiar ease. They dance, basked in moonlight, in precious silence with the warmth of Felix close against his body.</p><p>It’s a moment Sylvain wishes could last forever.</p><p>Eventually, their tuneless music ends, and their dance slows to a stop. Sylvain doesn’t dip Felix although he very much wants to. Instead, he steps back ever so slightly and bows deep, brushing his lips against his knuckles. “Thank you for indulging me, Fe.”</p><p>Felix flushes to the tips of his ears and Sylvain smiles, warm and content and fuzzy inside as he leads Felix to the door by the hand. They bid each other goodnight but before Sylvain closes the door and Felix leaves for his chambers down the hall, Felix turns back and gives him a quick yet firm hug.</p><p>“I do have a present for you.” Felix says into his chest. Sylvain’s eyes widen a fraction. “I’m riding with you back to Gautier tomorrow. I’ll give it to you then.”</p><p>Felix says his piece and leaves, leaving Sylvain to happily replay their dance and Felix’s words until he falls asleep.</p><p> </p><p>.</p><p> </p><p>Everyone goes their separate ways after breakfast the next day. Dimitri gives him a bone-crushing hug. <em>I greatly appreciate you, Sylvain. Please remember to take it easy sometimes. I am more than proud of you and the work that you do than you realize. </em>Sylvain returns the sentiment through wheezing breaths and wet eyes.</p><p>His presents are split and secured between Altair and Lady and he bids his friends safe travels with another round of hugs. Felix and he set off once Felix finishes instructing his staff and making sure Ingrid and the rest of the principle offenders return his estate to its former state by the time he gets back.</p><p>They don’t spend seven hours on the road this time and manage to make the trip in four going at a leisurely pace.</p><p>Sylvain invites Felix to stay for a while before making the trip back to Fraldarius. He should’ve insisted that Felix didn’t need make the trip at all but he couldn’t bring himself to deny himself more time with him. The feeble excuse of needing to get their respective horses back home is good enough for him.</p><p>“I thought you had a present for me, Fe?” Sylvain teases as they stable Altair and Lady and check up on Felix’s horse. He's sure she’s been well taken care of in their one-day absence but Felix’s horse is precious and Sylvain loves her. It’s practically a crime that Felix named her Carrot after her favorite food when he could have called her Sugar instead while still keeping with his incredulous naming conventions. She's a sweet thing and that’s enough of a reason for Sylvain to love her but she’s also responsible for carrying Felix to him no matter what the weather is like and for that, Sylvain <em>adores</em> her.</p><p>Plus it’s cute to watch Felix pretend not to sulk when he showers her in affection like Felix isn’t standing right there.</p><p>Once they leave the stables and head back to the front door, Sylvain frowns, seeing his little pile of presents still sitting where they left them. Now that he thinks about it, he hasn’t seen any of his staff since returning. He’s about to comment on it to Felix but Felix is already picking up the parcels and striding up the door, staring down at Sylvain with his arms full and waiting patiently.</p><p>Sylvain pockets the mystery for the moment and makes to open the door for him. It opens with ease and it doesn’t even occur to him to question the lack of security to his estate. He rarely ever opens the doors himself, either opting for a different entrance or his servants eagerly welcoming his return.</p><p>Felix steps through first and Sylvain follows. He’s greeted with a truly confusing sight when he steps into the main hall. His staff, practically all of them, and members of his former battalion are there. The hall is decorated not unlike Felix’s was. There’s no confetti but there are flowers and every one of his staff smiles at him.</p><p>In perfect unison, they bow and greet him and Felix. “Welcome back, Margrave Gautier, Duke Fraldarius.” Felix tilts his head in acknowledgement while Sylvain blinks blankly at them. “And happy birthday, Sylvain.” He stares at them. Other lords may have given them hell for the casual address but Sylvain has been trying to get them to call him by his name for years with minimal success. The handful of older staff who’ve known him since he was crawling through the halls in sullied diapers quicker to pick it up than the newer ones.</p><p>He looks around and realizes they’re holding their breaths, anxiously waiting for his reaction.</p><p>“Uh, yeah. Thank you…? I’m… I don’t know what to say, I never expected this.” He’s still wrapping his head around it all when he sees Felix smirk as he hands off his parcels to one of the servants. “Wait, Fe, are you responsible for this? That’s going a bit far, you can’t just order my staff around-“</p><p>Felix looks mildly offended but Liams interrupts him. “You have it wrong, Milord. We wanted to do this and sent word to Duke Fraldarius, Felix, requesting his assistance.” Liam's also known Felix since he was snotting and shitting himself within these walls so he gets a pass for the informal address as well. Not that Felix cares about that sort of thing anyways.</p><p>“So that’s why you dragged me away so early yesterday!” Sylvain exclaims to Felix. Promptly, he turns on his staff. “I’m touched that you guys did this, I really am. But Felix is also incredibly busy and you shouldn’t have involved him in something so trivial,” he reprimands.</p><p>Some of his staff falter under the tone of his voice but the veterans meet his displeasure with eyebrows raised and arms crossed.  </p><p>“You say that like I didn’t have a choice in the matter.” Felix stands with his staff, hand on his hip and staring at Sylvain like he should be the one scolded instead. “Just accept that people, including your staff and men whom you pay and treat very well, want to do nice things for you.”</p><p>Sylvain stares in disbelief.</p><p>“Presents have been arriving since you set off yesterday, Milord. Chests from Garreg Mach, House Galatea and Fhirdiad from His Majesty arrived this morning. And those,” Sylvain follows the gesture to chests bearing symbols of Brigid and Almyra and many other smaller parcels from old classmates piled neatly by the stairs. He even spies a small parcel in Sreng colours and he openly stares at it. “An envoy arrived yesterday on behalf of the Sreng leader you sat with for peace negotiations last moon. She has gifted you with traditional Sreng fabrics and looks forward to seeing you with them at the end of the moon.” Sylvain is still wrapping his head around that meteor of information as Liams continues. “The rest of this is from towns and villages in Gautier. Local foods and specialties the people have prepared for you.” Sylvain looks at them and knows from the pit of his soul that these weren’t given to curry his favor, given how personally crafted everything appears. It’s nothing like the extravagant gifts he used to receive with all their posh and impersonal embellishments.</p><p>He must be dreaming because his feet are unsteady and his eyes are clouding. There’s no way this is real and all of this is for him.</p><p>Sylvain looks at Felix very seriously, desperately almost. “Fe, I need you to punch me.” Felix’s face scrunches up and he sighs, striding up to Sylvain as he continues. “This is obviously a dream and I need to wake up.”</p><p>Felix stands in front of him looking absolutely flabbergasted before his expression softens. “You’re so frustrating. I can’t believe people call <em>me</em> stubborn.” Felix reaches up and very gently tugs on his collar, pulling him down.</p><p>His brain completely blanks when Felix kisses his cheek, chaste and sweet and <em>in front of everyone</em>.</p><p>“People love you. More than just me. Our friends. Your men. Your staff. The people of Gautier,” Felix says against his cheek. “Get it through your thick skull already.”</p><p>Still in disbelief but daring to believe, Sylvain pulls Felix into his chest. His staff and men nod and smile at him.</p><p>He laughs. Felix is struggling in his arms but Sylvain just hugs him tighter, freely letting his tears flow, spilling past the happy crinkle of his eyes.</p><p>Resigned to his fate, Felix stops fighting and hugs Sylvain back, mumbling. “Can you let me go now so we can actually start the celebration?”</p><p>“No way! It’s my birthday, I get to indulge all I want today.” Sylvain trills, throwing an arm around Felix’s shoulder and pulling him tight against his side as he herds his staff into the reception hall.</p><p>Felix grumbles but settles his arm around Sylvain’s waist and follows, smiling all the way.</p><p>“Happy birthday, Sylvain.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I live for Felix loving Sylvain. Also all their friends and classmates. And his men and staff and the people of Gautier because he's put in so much work and effort to make it a safe and wonderful place &lt;3 Happy birthday Sylvain!</p><p> </p><p>So what is Felix’s present in the end? Ornamental lance? Fraldarius specialties? Engagement jewelry? Himself? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)</p><p>Reader’s choice!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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